Business opposition to Arizona’s religion bill continues to mount

Momentum against the SB 1062 religion bill continued to snowball Monday as a growing number of business leaders urged Gov. Jan Brewer to veto a bill they said is already harming Arizona’s economy.

Mirroring complaints expressed Friday, business leaders Monday sent a letter urging Brewer to veto the legislation because it would expose businesses to a higher risk of lawsuits, could be seen as discriminatory, and could hurt Arizona’s ability to attract good workers.

“We are troubled by any legislation that could be interpreted to permit discrimination against a particular group of people in the marketplace,” the leaders said.

“The legislation is also already clearly having a negative effect on our tourism industry, one of the largest sectors of the economy. The bill could also harm job creation efforts and our ability to attract and retain talent. “

The letter was signed by Tom Franz, President and CEO, Greater Phoenix Leadership; Glenn Hamer, President and CEO, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Todd Sanders, President and CEO, Phoenix Chamber of Commerce; and Ron Shoopman, President, Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

Also Monday, the Arizona Technology Council urged Brewer to veto the bill, and the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau came out in opposition. Rachel Pearson, spokeswoman of the Scottsdale bureau, said her organization is supporting the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association's position against SB 1062 since it is a statewide issue.

“We’re greatly concerned,” said Kristen Jarnagin, senior vice president of communications for the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association said Friday. “We’ve already received countless phone calls and e-mails from people canceling trips or threatening not to return.”

The topic continued to go viral on social media with hundreds of SB 1062 opponents “liking” some of five newly created Facebook pages. Another march at the Arizona State Capital was planned for Monday evening.

Even Republican lawmakers in Arizona began urging Brewer to veto the bill, including Sen. John McCain, Rep. Jeff Flake and several Republican state senators.

Opponents call the legislation the “right to discriminate” bill because it protects business owners who decide, based on their religious beliefs, not to serve an individual or group of individuals.

Supporters say the bill, written by the conservative advocacy group Center for Arizona Policy and the Christian legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, would allow individuals to use religious beliefs as a defense against a lawsuit.

They say it is a tweak to existing state religious-freedom laws intended to ensure individuals and businesses are not forced to do something that goes against their beliefs.

On Friday, a chorus of organizations, including the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association and the Alliance Bank of Arizona, spoke out against the harm the bill could have just as the state is recovering from the impact of the 2010 anti-immigration bill.

GPEC Chairman James Lundy, CEO of Alliance Bank of Arizona, and Barry Broome, president and CEO of GPEC, said in a letter Friday that with the Super Bowl scheduled next year at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona will be at the center of the world’s stage.

“This legislation has the potential of subjecting the Super Bowl, and major events surrounding it, to the threats of boycotts...We have already been contacted by four companies we are working on with the Arizona Commerce Authority who will look to locate elsewhere if this legislation is signed.”

The bill has not arrived on Brewer’s desk, and was expected to do so possibly on Tuesday. Once she gets it, she will have five days to veto, sign or ignore it.

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